Quick answer: An “or equal” clause lets you propose a CASE SKU in place of the basis-of-design camera or recorder, but only if you prove equivalence line by line. Build a table with one row per numbered requirement, the basis-of-design value, the value printed on the CASE spec sheet and a Comply, Exceed or Deviate mark; attach spec sheets and per-SKU documentation; submit through the Division 01 substitution procedure before its deadline. The reviewer decides.
What do reviewers compare in an “or equal” request, and what do they ignore?
The reviewer is usually the consultant or engineer of record who wrote the specification. They compare your proposed product against the numbered performance requirements in Part 2 of the Division 28 section (28 20 00 Video Surveillance in CSI MasterFormat, used in both the US and Canada), not against the brand they named. How to Read a Video Surveillance RFP covers what each phrase allows.
What a reviewer compares:
- Resolution and frame rate as pixel counts, not labels (“3840×2160@30fps”, not “4K”); lens type and focal range.
- Minimum illumination, IR and white-light distances, wide dynamic range figure and type.
- IP and IK ratings, operating temperature, housing; audio and alarm I/O, edge storage, compression, power input.
- Analytics named by function (line crossing, intrusion, human and vehicle classification), not by a brand’s feature name; ONVIF profiles.
- Warranty term and the compliance documents the Part 1 clauses demand.
What a careful reviewer ignores or questions: adjectives (“professional-grade”, “AI-powered”), rounded megapixels, series names, and any value without a page reference in a published spec sheet. A stated deviation rarely sinks a request; a deviation the reviewer finds for themselves usually does.
How do you lay out the equivalence table?
One table per line item on the camera schedule: the fixed dome type, the PTZ type, the recorder. Six columns, left to right: spec reference (28 20 00, 2.3.B.4); requirement as written, with its unit; basis-of-design value (Brand X) with its sheet page; proposed CASE SKU in full with the series letter, and the value exactly as the CASE spec sheet prints it, US/CA conversion in parentheses; verdict (Comply, Exceed or Deviate); evidence and note (document, revision date, page, effect of any deviation).
The worked example fills the requirement, CASE and verdict columns for an 8MP varifocal dome line item using the CS-I8MS I-2.7-13.5mm. The requirement wording is typical specification language shown to illustrate the method; your table copies the actual clause.
| Criterion | Example requirement (as a spec might write it) | CS-I8MS I-2.7-13.5mm, as printed | Verdict and note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution and frame rate | 8 MP, 3840×2160, not less than 25 fps | 3840×2160@30fps | Comply |
| IR illumination | IR to 98 ft (30 m) | Max. IR Distance 164 ft (50 m) | Exceed |
| Wide dynamic range | True WDR, 120 dB | 120dB | Comply on the figure; no WDR type is printed, so confirm in writing before writing “True WDR” |
| Operating temperature | −22 °F to 122 °F (−30 °C to 50 °C) | −31 °F to 149 °F (−35 °C to 65 °C), 0–95% RH | Exceed |
| Audio and alarm I/O | 1 audio in/out, 1 alarm in/out, built-in speaker | Audio I/O 1/1; Alarm I/O 2/1; Built-In Microphone Yes; Built-In Speaker N/A | Deviate on the speaker; state it and its effect |
| Analytics | Line crossing, intrusion, human and vehicle classification | Printed AI list of 16 functions includes Tripwire, Perimeter, Human & Vehicle Classification | Comply; note tripwire = line crossing, perimeter = intrusion; confirm per firmware |
| ONVIF | ONVIF Profile S and Profile T | Profiles S, T and G (M on pinhole models); confirm on the SKU spec sheet | Comply once confirmed; third-party behavior confirmed per platform and project |
| Power | PoE IEEE 802.3af | From the SKU spec sheet (not on the catalog page) | Never copy another SKU’s value |
| Warranty | Not less than 3 years | CASE cameras carry a 6-year warranty | Exceed |
| Compliance | NDAA Section 889 compliant | Per-SKU documentation requested from Anabon for the project | Attach once Anabon confirms the SKU for the project |
Some catalog pages print a reduced row set; the CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm comparison page, for example, prints no operating temperature or compression row. For those rows the SKU spec sheet is the source: spec sheet first, then catalog, then website copy. For a recorder line item the rows become channels, PoE ports, incoming bandwidth, drive bays, alarm I/O and display outputs; the CS-N440 P16H-AI prints 40CH, 16 PoE ports, 400Mbps / 400Mbps bandwidth (AI on: 200Mbps / 200Mbps), 4x10TB HDD and 16 alarm inputs / 4 outputs. When the spec requires analytics on the recorder, the AI-on figure goes in the table.
Where does a CASE row often exceed what the specification asks for?
Three rows regularly come back marked Exceed.
Warranty
Specifications commonly require not less than three or five years from Substantial Completion. The CASE terms, by category and never as a blanket: CASE cameras and CASE NVRs carry a 6-year warranty. CASE PTZ cameras carry a 3-year warranty. CASE accessories carry unlimited warranty. Hard drives are supported through back-to-back manufacturer warranty. A camera or recorder line item therefore exceeds a three- or five-year clause; a PTZ line item complies with a three-year clause and is a stated deviation against a five-year one. CASE Project Series items (CSP- prefix) carry no stated term until Anabon confirms it in writing for the project. Warranty support runs through you, the installer or dealer; see CASE Warranty by Category.
Operating temperature
Northern US and Canadian specifications often ask for −22 °F (−30 °C) or −40 °F (−40 °C) at the low end. The CS-I8MS I-2.7-13.5mm prints −31 °F to 149 °F (−35 °C to 65 °C); the CS-I4SV S-2.8mm prints −40 °F to 149 °F (−40 °C to 65 °C). Quote the row for the exact SKU; a different series letter can print a different range.
Deterrence
Where a spec asks for recording and alarm output only, a deterrence camera exceeds the requirement without becoming “unequal”. The CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm prints 164 ft (50 m) IR, 98 ft (30 m) white light, red and blue light, a built-in mic and speaker, a 1 TB memory slot, 120dB True WDR (TWDR), IP66 and a metal housing. The wording for the table: EW and AEW are deterrence features. Availability is confirmed per SKU. The laser is a deterrent, not an illuminator, and is offered on selected models only. Match the function the spec describes, never a brand’s feature name; see Active Deterrence Cameras: EW/AEW.
Where do you have to be plainly honest: software ecosystem and certifications?
Software ecosystem
If the basis of design is specified together with its own video management platform or a cloud service, the equivalence question is about the platform, not the camera, and the table must say so. State only what is supported today. CASE Connect is the official app experience for CASE systems. App features and remote access options should be confirmed by model, software version, and project configuration. If the specification requires a desktop client, the technical answer names CASE Station, the desktop VMS, with features confirmed per version. For an owner’s existing third-party VMS: ONVIF profiles supported are S, T, and G, with M on pinhole models; third-party behavior is confirmed per platform and project, so get a bench test or written confirmation before the deadline rather than writing “compatible”.
Certifications and compliance
Listings and emissions rows are pass or fail: UL (ULC in Canada) listings for power supplies, enclosures and plenum cable, FCC Part 15 (ICES-003 in Canada) for emissions. If the spec sheet does not print the listing, write Deviate and propose the listed accessory. Compliance is answered per SKU, never per brand: CASE offers NDAA-compliant options for compliance-sensitive projects. Anabon confirms the exact products and provides the official compliance documentation for each project. US clauses cite NDAA Section 889 and the FCC Covered List; Canadian public buyers set requirements case by case. For hazardous-area, thermal or radar line items (CASE Project Series, CSP- prefix), certificates, availability and lead time are confirmed in writing per project before you write them into the table. See What Is NDAA Compliance for Security Cameras?.
What goes into the substitution request itself?
Use the owner’s substitution request form under 01 25 00 when one exists. Otherwise a one-page cover letter with these fields, followed by the table and attachments, is what reviewers expect.
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Specification reference | Section, paragraph and schedule tag (28 20 00, 2.3.B, camera type “C-2”) |
| Basis of design and proposed substitution | Brand X model as the spec names it; full CASE SKU with series letter, quantity, spec sheet revision date |
| Reason for request | Factual: availability, lead time, performance on the attached table, warranty term, documentation |
| Equivalence and deviations | “See attached table: X rows Comply, Y Exceed, Z Deviate”; each deviation in a sentence with its effect on the owner and other trades |
| Attachments | Spec sheet per SKU, per-SKU compliance documentation, warranty statement by category, ONVIF profile statement, mounting accessory sheets |
| Statement | That the bidder reviewed the substitution against the full specification and accepts coordination responsibility; signed |
Sequence: read 01 25 00 for the deadline and form; choose the SKU in the current catalog spelling, never a legacy model; request spec sheets and compliance documentation from Anabon early; fill the table; write the letter; submit by the deadline and log it; carry the approval into the product data submittal after award. The bid schedule becomes the as-built; see Writing a Camera Schedule and Bill of Materials.
What to tell your customer
“We are proposing the CASE model through your substitution procedure, with a line-by-line table against every numbered requirement and the published spec sheet for each model attached. Every row shows comply, exceed or deviate, and every deviation is described in writing. Warranty is stated by product category, and compliance documentation is supplied per model for your file.”
FAQ
Does “or equal” mean identical to the basis of design?
No. It means the proposed product meets each numbered requirement of the specification, which was written around the basis of design. Equality is judged row by row: a longer IR distance is an Exceed, a missing listing is a Deviate. Brand-specific feature names are matched by function, and the reviewer decides.
Can I fill the table from the catalog page instead of the spec sheet?
Use the spec sheet. Catalog comparison pages leave rows out; the CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm page prints no operating temperature or compression row, for example. The order of authority is the SKU spec sheet, then the catalog, then website copy. Quote every value as printed and add the US and Canadian conversion in parentheses.
What do I write when a CASE SKU does not meet one requirement?
Write Deviate, describe the gap in one sentence and state its effect on the owner and on other trades. Then propose a different CASE SKU that prints the value, or offer a remedy such as a listed accessory or a contractor warranty line. Never leave the row blank; reviewers read blank rows as hidden deviations.
What warranty term goes in the table?
The category term, never a blanket figure. CASE cameras and CASE NVRs carry a 6-year warranty. CASE PTZ cameras carry a 3-year warranty. CASE accessories carry unlimited warranty. Hard drives are supported through back-to-back manufacturer warranty. For CASE Project Series items with the CSP- prefix, state no term until Anabon confirms it in writing for the project.
